Altogether Again

By Christopher Schneider, Director, Strategic Partnerships
Published October 18, 2022

The leaves turn color and lose their grip. The wind whips and whispers the cold to come. Food tastes delicious, sleep becomes luxuriating, and clothing regains its utility. Fall. 

It’s also the season I begin to put some miles on the old odometer, exhibiting at local conferences. We have a travelling road show that brings us to the masses (until that day they come to us). I, for one, look forward to seeing the masses.

Back in 2019, the topic of people getting together again wouldn’t have been worthy of an article, but in 2022 it’s notable. The same is true of HR Source members. A whole boatload of them will be with us in-person for the 2022 Employment Law Conference on November 9th at NIU Naperville. It makes me a little misty thinking about it, and I have a feeling of nostalgia mixed into a steaming bouillabaisse of excitement at the prospect of seeing so many smiling faces doing ordinary things.

Perhaps it’s just as simple as wanting to be back altogether. As Target and Walmart have already decided, the holidays are approaching, and maybe this year we’ll get more of these opportunities without the fear and anxiety of the last few years. These same ebullient feelings have struck me as I visit members and prospective members at their places of business, attend after-hours networking events, and see my colleagues at full staff meetings. It’s good and right, if we can stay safe, to be out in the world.

Our conference is many things to many people. It’s a full day educational experience, a crucial legal update for employers, a place to network and meet colleagues, and perhaps even a “break” from whatever passes as ordinary. Maybe it’s a little risky to plan an in-person event these days, but my hope is that we can come together and learn, laugh, and delight in the presence of others. Won’t you join me?